Virginia Schools Out for the Year and Assignments Are ‘Optional and Ungraded’

If you live in Virginia, you may have been as shocked as I was yesterday when Governor Northam announced that schools throughout the state will be closed for the year. Yep, not 30 days or 60, but the rest of the school year.

And if your kids attend Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) or another district where students’ work is ‘optional and ungraded’, this is especially difficult. When kids know that homework isn’t required or graded, they’re far less likely to do it.  

Here’s how the discussion goes in many households:

Mom: “Johnny, you really need to be doing some homework.”

Johnny: “Why? It’s ‘optional and ungraded’ and no one else is.”

Mom: “You need to keep learning. Your brain will go to mush if you don’t do something.”

Johnny: “My teacher says it doesn’t even count, so I don’t see the point.”

As a parent, it’s hard to have the right answers. We all want our kids to be learning and progressing but give most kids an ‘out’ and they’ll take it.

This ‘optional and ungraded’ policy is pitting parents against kids. The situation of being cooped up at home is bad enough, but having to convince your child to step away from Netflix or Fortnite to continue learning is making it even worse. No parent wants to be the ‘homeschool police’.

So I’ve created a special e-book, Homeschooling During COVID-19: 7 Stress-free Ways to Keep Your Child On Track, to lessen the load. And I’m giving it away for free. 

Simply click on the linked title above to download. I hope you find it to be helpful.

If you check out that guide and still want some extra assistance, please know we’re here for you. Each family’s needs are unique right now, so we’re offering free consults to help you create a custom plan for your child—whether they need daily instruction or an accountability check-in a few times a week. 

Just schedule a free consult or learn more here.

These times truly are unprecedented, but we’re in this together. Download that free e-book. Schedule that free consult. Shoot us an email if you need to. We’re here for you!

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